JEFFERSON CITY – Both bridges that carry Route 54/63 over the Missouri River in Jefferson City are open to traffic as of 1 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 13.

The westbound bridge, which had been closed since May 1 for painting and other repairs, opened around 8:45 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 11. The access ramp from Route 54/63 to West Main Street and the westbound on-ramp from Route W to Route 54/63 also opened Friday night.

Work then switched to the eastbound bridge, which had been carrying two lanes of traffic in each direction during the westbound bridge closure. That work, which involved taking down the concrete barrier separating the lanes, removing the temporary striping and placing new pavement markings, wrapped up at about 1 p.m. today. The access ramp from West Main Street to Route 54/63 and the eastbound on-ramp from McCarty Street to Route 54/63 also opened at that time.

“We want to thank everyone again for their patience during this project,” said David Silvester, district engineer for the Missouri Department of Transportation’s Central District. “We now have a newly refurbished bridge that should serve us for another 20 to 30 years.”

Some minor work on the westbound bridge still remains, but should only impact traffic periodically. Drivers may experience some single-lane closures during non-peak hours in the coming weeks.

More information on the bridge project is available at www.modot.org/central or by calling 1-888-ASK-MoDOT (275-6636).